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History · Barton Hills

Barton Hills dates to 1913, and 26% of its homes were built before 1940

Below: maps from 1902 on and the census since 1980.

1913founded
0on the National Register
26%homes built before 1940
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Quick answers

How Barton Hills began

When was Barton Hills founded?

1913

Barton Hills dates its founding to 1913 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1980.

First census: 357 in 19802020 census: 316113 years
Founding year: Wikidata.The full story ↓

What stands out about Barton Hills’ past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A history waiting to be writtenNo old photos of Barton Hills are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.On the map since 19024 editions of the USGS map, 1902 to 1983. Watch Barton Hills change.Old housesHalf of Barton Hills’ homes were built before 1960.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Barton Hills’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Barton Hills’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
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On the map

Barton Hills on the map, 1902 to 1983

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Barton Hills. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Barton Hills on the 1902 USGS mapBarton Hills on the 1965 USGS mapBarton Hills on the 1975 USGS mapBarton Hills on the 1983 USGS map1902Dexter sheet · 1:62,500

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Barton Hills.

The story

How Barton Hills came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Barton Hills.

Read it all →

In the early 1900s the land now occupied by Barton Hills Village was used for cattle grazing by a local firm, Towar Dairy. Around 1910, the Detroit Edison Company needed to increase its electrical generating capacity and decided to construct a series of dams and power stations along the Huron River. For that purpose they purchased 2,000 acres and water rights along both sides of the Huron River, including the Towar Dairy property. The present Barton Dam was built in 1913.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

By decade

Barton Hills, decade by decade

Today5 recent
Barton Hills, MI location2019Barton Hills, MI locationBarton Hills Village Hall2019Barton Hills Village HallBarton Shore Drive2011Barton Shore DriveMaple-Foster Bridge2010Maple-Foster BridgeBarton Pond Barton Hillls Michigan2010Barton Pond Barton Hillls Michigan
People over time

Barton Hills, census by census

0100200300198020002020Peak: 357

Between 294 and 357 people in every census since 1980.

5 censuses, 1980–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Barton Hills’ Wikipedia page.

Famous people

Famous people close to Barton Hills

Nobody well known was born in Barton Hills itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.

See all →
Samuel C. C. TingChinese-American physicist · b. 1936
Eric BetzigAmerican physicist · b. 1960
Thomas Huckle WellerAmerican virologist · b. 1915
Michael PorterAmerican engineer and economist · b. 1947
Alvin PlantingaAmerican Christian philosopher · b. 1932
Bill HewlettAmerican electrical engineer, co-founder of Hew… · b. 1913
Stories next door

History across the town line

Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.

Ann Arbor35 historic placesAAnn Arbor Township1 historic placeB+

Questions about Barton Hills’ history

What year was Barton Hills founded?

In 1913, according to Wikidata. the census of 1980 counted 357 people here.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
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Sources

Where this page comes from

Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021). How TownRatings grades history →

From Wikimedia Commons (5), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps and U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.